The Teaching Family model, a community-based, residential treatment program for predelinquent and delinquent youths from 12 to 16 years of age, has been developed and experimentally researched over the past several years. This proposal seeks funds to implement a three-year independent evaluation of the T-F model. The development of the evaluation model, methods and procedures has evolved from a planning year period, during which the principal investigator conducted extensive field and background study of the feasibility of and procedures for, an outside eveluation of the T-F model. Rationales for the proposed evaluation include the need for intensive and timely study of any innovative program for treatment of delinquent youths. This need is particularly crucial currently given the deinstitutionalization movement nationally which is placing the burden of delinquency treatment on community resources. Community-based treatment programs like the T-F model must be evaluated so that local decision-makers can choose wisely in allocating limited community resources. The evaluation project has three general goals, with 11 specific objectives. Goal A-Conduct an independent audit of the sponsors' internal evaluation procedures; Goal B-Evaluate the outcomes of the T-F model; and Goal C-Study the process by which the T-F model achieves its goals. To accomplish these goals, a set of six sub-projects is proposed which vary in cost, specific objectives, samples, research designs, measures of dependent and independent variables, data collection methods, statistical analyses, and reports of findings. In addition to determining how effective the T-F model is, and how it works in producing its impact on youths, these sub-projects will contribute to general field evaluation methodology by providing a possible model for field study of other community-based treatment programs in social welfare, corrections, or mental health.